This invention relates to a symmetric circuit board which can be utilized on either the driver and passenger side of a vehicle.
Circuit boards are utilized to facilitate electrical connections in vehicle applications. As one example, circuit boards facilitate connections between switch members, and the wires leading to the motors or other accessories that might be controlled by the switches. The circuit boards are typically mounted in the dash, the doors or in seats for the vehicle.
In many vehicle applications, there may be similar switching requirements on both the driver and passenger seats and doors. The switches preferably are in corresponding positions on both the driver and passenger seats and doors, and the positioning of the switch members is opposite for the driver application and the passenger application.
For the above applications, the prior art has typically made two parts, with a first part being utilized to provide the connections for the driver's side, and a second part manufactured to provide the connections for the passenger side. This has required the preparation of two sets of tooling for each part that will be utilized on both the driver and passenger sides.
In addition, vehicles are now being manufactured for both United States and foreign use. To this end, electrical connections in the dash of the vehicle might also have opposed required positioning for left and right side driving. As an example, a control for a driver of a U.S. vehicle might be on the left side of the dash board, and have a first orientation, while a control for the driver of a foreign-bound vehicle would be on the right side of the dash and have a second orientation opposite from the first orientation. Again, two sets of tools have typically been required to manufacture the two separate pans. While this requirement is not burdensome for simple molded pans, it is burdensome to make two of the relatively complex circuit connection boards.
Moreover, there are many switches where similar switch bodies are mounted on both the right and left-hand side of a steering wheel. As one example, the front and rear wiper/wash switch for all terrain vehicles are similar and mounted on both the right and left sides of the steering wheel. These switches have typically required two distinct circuit boards to provide the two switches.